Field of the Disclosure
The present subject matter generally relates to agricultural implements having a draft tongue or bar that attaches to the hitch assembly of a suitable powered vehicle such as a tractor, which tractor also provides power to operate mechanisms of the implement by way of power-take-off (PTO) engagement with the drive shaft assembly of the implement.
Description of Related Art
Agricultural implements, particularly larger implements, feature a robust drive shaft assembly that is not rigidly mounted so as to allow for the intended driven connection with a power-take-off (PTO) of many of a variety of draft vehicles such as a tractors that come in a several different sizes and configurations. Over the years, support assemblies have been devised to avoid unwanted movement of implement drive shaft assemblies before the drive shaft assembly is safely, completely and securely attached to the PTO mechanism. Some such support assemblies engage the implement drive shaft assembly and extend downwardly to engage the ground below the drive shaft assembly. Other supports connect the implement drive shaft assembly with a draft tongue or bar of the implement.
Examples of the structures and details of previously devised supports of these types are found in U.S. Pat. No. 2,614,405 “Power Take-Off Coupling”, U.S. Pat. No. 4,020,913 “Tongue-Mounted Yieldable PTO Driveline Support”, U.S. Pat. No. 4,099,594 “Tongue-Mounted Assembly for Supporting an Implement Drivetrain”, U.S. Pat. No. 6,015,016 “Stowable Driveline Connection Aid for Power-Driven Farm Implements”, U.S. Pat. No. 7,490,799 “Multi-Position Support for PTO Drive”, U.S. Pat. No. 7,862,068 “Connector Constructed for Connecting a Jack to an Implement Draft Tongue and for Supporting a PTO Drive Shaft Assembly”, and U.S. Pat. No. 7,980,338 “Agricultural Implement Having Apparatus for Stowing PTO Driveline Shaft when the PTO Driveline Shaft is Not in Use”. PTO supports include those that are of the “fold-away” type, but allowing for only very limited adjustability for accommodating different sizings and location situations that vary according to the implement drivetrain assembly or driveline/clutch assembly of the implement as well as the height, orientation and adjustability of the PTO assembly of the draft vehicle. To the extent these types of prior supports offer any ability to adjust for differences among implement and draft vehicle connection mechanisms and sizings, each typically requires the use of tools in order to adjust height, for example.